Adjustable golf club



March 24, 1959 H. D. SMITH ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Filed July 3, 1958 INVENTOR Harry D; Smith ATTORNEY United States Patent() 2,879,065 I ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Harry D. Smith, Cadiz, Ohio Application July 3, 1958, Serial No. 746,395

I 4 Claims. (Cl. ave-81.2

,."Il is invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to a golf club having a shaft of adjustable length. If the game of golf is to be played well, it is important that the length of the clubs employed be chosen in accordance with the requirements of the individual player. Club length is perhaps most important in the case of the driver, because the length of the drive is a function of the length of the club; The length of the driver best suitable to a player is not determined solely by the, players height. Ageand strength are also significant factors. It has been foundthat the length of drive by an older player, for example, may be substantially increased by increasing the length of the driver by a few inches, notwithstanding the fact thatthe longer club requires that the player stand farther back from the tee.

It is common practice to manufacture different leng clubsfor juniors and seniors, but it is not economical to provide a large range of club lengths tailored to the requirements of individual players. suming-the availability of clubs of many different lengths, it is frequently. impossible to predict the length of club most suitable to the individual player, and an initial selectionof'club length may prove inappropriate after considerable play.

.From the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists for a golf club of adjustable length. The club must be readily adjustable,.but once the proper club length has been determined, the club must be as firm and rigid as a club of fixed length. Moreover, the club must comply with the regulations of the Professional Golf Association.

. It is.- accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide such a club.

:more specific object of the invention is to providean a djustable length golf club capable of being adjusted positively to a plurality of lengths and yet when finally adjusted have the longitudinal, transverse, and torsional rigidity of a fixed length club.

A further object of the invention is to provide a club ofth eg foregoing type which may be manufactured economically by conventional manufacturing techniques and which does not require complex machinery and tools for its manufacture and adjustment.

. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention and the exact manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparentgupon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred emhodirnent and wherein:

.xFigurel is an elevation view, partly in section, of the hand grip portion of the club of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged truncated view similar to Figure ;1,1' but withfthe hand grip wrapping removed and cer-' tain parts disassembled;

ljigure ,3-is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along, line 3+3 in Figure 1; and

-Figure- 4 is a perspective view of the complete club of thednvention illustrating the adjustment of length;

2,879,065 Patented Mar. 24, 195? 'ice Briefly stated, the invention concerns an adjustable length golf club comprising a shaft with a hand grip adjustable to a plurality of locations along the corresponding portion of the shaft. The hand grip comprises a cylindrical sleeve, and the corresponding portion of the shaft has a mating cylindrical surface on which the sleeve may reciprocate. The sleeve and shaft end are constructed for cooperation with a simple-screw and nut fastener which allows the sleeve to be firmly fixed at any one of a plurality of locations on the shaft end.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 4 illustrates the general appearance of the golf club 10 of the invention,

which has a shaft 12 tapering from a smaller cross-section where the shaft meets the hosel of a club head 14 to a larger cross-section where the shaft meets a hand grip 16. For explanatory purposes the invention is shown as applied to a driver. As shown by the dash lines in Figure 4, the position of the hand grip is adjustable so that the effective length of the golf club shaft may be adjusted, and as will become apparent hereinafter, a plurality of positions of adjustment is provided. It will be apparent from Figure 4 that the external appearance of the club does not differ from conventional clubs, and that the club may be held and swung in the usual manner. These factors are important in meeting professional golf standards.

In'accordance with the invention, the tapered portion aof the shaft 12 merges with a cylindrical end portion 18 best seen in Figure 2. The shaft may be formed of wood, steel, or fiberglass, but the end portion 18 is preferably a' solid wood rod. If the tapered portion of the shaft is hollow, the end portion 18 is fitted into the tapered per-1 tion and fixed thereto by conventional bonding techniques.. Moreover, even as-- The hand grip of the club comprises a cylindrical sleeve 20, preferably of steel, which has an inner suface closely fitted to the outer surface of the shaft end 18, as shown in Figure 3, with sufficient clearance to permit the sleeve 20 to reciprocate smoothly, yet snugly, on the shaft end.

The sleeve 20 is preferably approximately the length of shaft end 18. As shown in Figure 1, the end of the sleeve remote from the club head is provided with a cap 22 which may be afiixed to the sleeve in the manner of a crutch tip. The outer surface of the hand grip sleeve is ,closely the inner diameter of the bore portions 28. Thecovered by a wrapping of suitable handgrip material, such as rubber or leather, the wrapping preferably being applied in helical convolutions. In order that the hand grip may taper from a smaller cross-section at its lower end to a larger cross-section at its upper end, the wrapping may vary in thickness along its length, or suitable tapered inserts may be placed between a wrapping of uniform thickness and the sleeve 20.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the hand grip.

openings 32 and 34. These openings are alignable with the open ends of the bore portions 28 and 30, respectively, and preferably have substantially the same diameter as the corresponding bore portions. Sleeve 20 is also provided with a pair of longitudinal slots 36 which pass through the opposite sides of the sleeve and which are located between the openings 32 and 34 as shown in Figure 3. The means for fixing the sleeve 20 to the shaft end 18 is completed by a screw and nut fastening comprising a machine screw 38 and a nut 40. The screw has a conventional slotted head 42 and a threaded shank 44, the outer diameter of the shank being chosen to fit nut has a head 46 and a short internally threaded sleeve 48, the outer diameter of the sleeve being closely fitted to the inner diameter of the. larger bore portions 30 and the length of the sleeve being chosen such that the nut will be seated with the free end of the sleeve 48 at the junction of bore portions 28 and 30 and the under surface of the head 46 abutting the outer surface of the hand grip sleeve 2t), as shown in Figure 3. Thus when the screw is threaded into the nut, a snug fitof all of the associated parts results, both the screw and the nut passing through the hand grip sleeve and intothe shaft end 18. Small holes 50 and 52 are provided in the wrapping 24 to accommodate the heads of the screw and nut.

With the construction shown, sufficient friction is created when the screw is tightened to prevent the nut from turning without providing external gripping surfaces on the nut head. As the fastening is tightened, a compressive force is exerted on the sleeve 20 which squeezes the slots 36' and makes them narrower. This reduces the diameter of the sleeve 20 in the vicinity of the screw and nut fastening and takes up the working clearance between the sleeve and the shaft end 18. Thus the sleeve 20 is actually contracted onto the shaft end, and a powerful gripping force is provided. This force and the firm seating of the screw and nut effectively unites the hand grip and the shaft in a common bond, making it impossible to move the sleeve with respect to the shaft either longitudinally, transversely, or circumferentially. The adjusting means of the invention is primarily intended for the occasional adjustment necessitated by the players long term require ments, rather than to accommodate particular plays. Thus, while the construction is readily adjustable, when adjustment is required, it is characterized by the permanence of a fixed length club.

To adjust the shaft to a new effective length, the screw and nut are removed as shown in Figure 2, and the sleeve 20 is slipped along the shaft end 18 to a new position at which the holes 32 and 34 are aligned with another bore 26. The screw and nut are then re-inserted and tightened.

as before. The number of positions of adjustability is determined by the number of bores provided, and the hand grip is sufiiciently long to ensure a Wide range of adjustability. With the hand grip fully extended, as indicated by the dash lines in Figure 4, the upper portion of the sleeve 20 is not supported by as much of the shaft end 18 as before. Hence, to ensure maximum rigidity of the club, the sleeve itself should be capable of withstanding all of the normal forces applied to the club during play.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description, that the invention provides a unique golf club. If desired it may be manufactured in two basic lengths, a junior club adjustable from 40 to 47 inches in length from sole plate to top of grip, and a senior club adjustable from 43 to 51 inches in length. While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention, and those modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. An adjustable length golf club including a shaft having a club head at one end and a hand grip at the other end, said hand grip comprising a cylindrical sleeve, the hand grip end of said shaft being cylindrical, the outer cylindrical surface of said shaft end. being closely fitted within the inner cylindrical surface of said hand grip sleeve with sufiicient clearance to permit said sleeve to reciprocate on said shaft end, said shaft end being provided with a plurality of spaced parallel bores. there through, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of aligned holes through its opposite sides, said holes being alignable with the corresponding ends of each of said bores, said hand grip sleeve having at least one slot through a side between said holes and extending approximately longitudinally of said sleeve, and a screw and nut fastening for rigidly securing said hand grip sleeve to said shaft end at any one of a plurality of locations, the shank of the screw passing through a bore and the corresponding hole in said sleeve, said screw being threaded into said nut adjacent the other sleeve hole and exerting a transverse compressive force on said sleeve, thereby to reduce the width of said slot and cause said sleeve to engage said shaft end firmly and snugly.

2. An adjustable length golf club including a shaft having a club head at one end and a hand grip at the other end, said shaft tapering from a smaller cross-section adjaa cent the club head to a larger cross-section adjacent the hand grip, said hand grip comprising a cylindrical sleeve closed at its end remote from the club head, the hand grip end of said shaft being cylindrical, the outer cylindrical surface of said shaft end being closely fitted within the inner cylindrical surface of said hand grip sleeve with sufiicient clearance to permit said sleeve to reciprocate on said shaft end, said shaft end being provided with a plurality of spaced parallel bores therethrough, each bore: comprising in succession a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of aligned holes through its opposite sides, said holes being alignable with the corresponding ends of each of said bores, said hand grip sleeve having at least one longitudi nal slot through a side between said holes, and a screw" and nut fastening for rigidly securing said hand grip sleeve to said shaft end at any one of a plurality of locations,- the shank of the screw passing through and closely fittingthe smaller diameter portion of a bore and the corresponding hole in said sleeve, said nut having an outer sur-- face closely fitting and being seated in the larger diameter portion of said here, said screw being threaded into said nut and exerting a transverse compressive force on said sleeve, thereby to reduce the width of said slot and cause said sleeve to contract upon and engage said shaft end firmly and snugly, whereby the length of said golf club may be varied without detracting from its longitudinal, transverse, and torsional rigidity.

3. An adjustable length golf club including a shaft having a club head at one end and a hand grip at the other end, said shaft tapering from a smaller cross-section adjacent the club head to a larger cross-section adjacent the: hand grip, said hand grip comprising a cylindrical sleeve closed at its end remote from the club head and havingan external hand grip covering thereon, the hand grip end of said shaft being cylindrical, the outer cylindrical sur-- face of said shaft end being closely fitted within the inner cylindrical surface of said hand grip sleeve with sufficient clearance to permit said sleeve to reciprocate onsaid shaft end, said shaft end being provided with a series of spaced parallel bores therethrough, each bore comprising in succession a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of aligned holes through the opposite sides of its surface, one of said holes having substantially the same diameter as the smaller diameter portion of said bores and the other of said holes having substantially the same diameter as the larger diameter portion of said bores, said holes being alignable with the corresponding portions of each of said" bores, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of longitudinal slots through its opposite sides at locations between said holes, and a screw and nut fastening for rigidly securing said hand grip sleeve to said shaft end at any one of a plurality of locations, the shank of the screw passing through and closely fitting the smaller diameter portion of a bore and the corresponding hole in said sleeve;

' said nut having an outer surface closely fitting and being seated inzthe larger diameter portion of saidbong-saidscrew and said nut each having a head abutting the outer surface of said sleeve, said screw being threaded into said nut and exerting a transverse compressive force on said sleeve, thereby to reduce the width of said slots and cause said sleeve to contract upon and engage said shaft end firmly and snugly, whereby the length of said golf club may be varied without detracting from its longitudinal, transverse, and torsional rigidity.

4. An adjustable length golf club including a shaft having a club head at one end and a hand grip at the other end, said shaft tapering from a smaller cross-section adjacent the club head to a larger cross-section adjacent the hand grip, said hand grip comprising a cylindrical sleeve closed at its end remote from the club head by a cap and having an external hand grip Wrapping wound thereon, the hand grip end of said shaft being cylindrical and of a length approximately the same as the length of the hand grip sleeve, the outer cylindrical surface of said shaft end being closely fitted within the inner cylindrical surface of said hand grip sleeve with suflicient clearance to permit said sleeve to reciprocate on said shaft end, said shaft end being provided with a series of spaced parallel bores therethrough, each bore comprising in succession a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of aligned holes through its opposite sides, one of said holes having substantially the same diameter as the smaller diameter portion of said bores and the other of said holes having substantially the same diameter as the larger diameter portion of said bores, said holes being alignable with the corresponding portions of each of said bores, said hand grip sleeve having a pair of longitudinal slots through its opposite sides at locations between said holes, and a screw and nut fastening for rigidly securing said hand grip sleeve to said shaft end at any one of a plurality of locations, said screw having a head abutting the outer surface of said hand grip sleeve within a hole in said wrapping and having a shank passing through and closely fitting the smaller diameter portion of a bore and the corresponding aligned hole in said sleeve, said nut having a head abutting the outer surface of said hand grip sleeve within a hole in said wrapping and having a sleeve portion passing through and closely fitting the larger diameter portion of said bore and the corresponding hole in said hand grip sleeve and being seated in said larger diameter portion, said screw being threaded into said nut and exerting a transverse compressive force on said hand grip sleeve, thereby to reduce the width of said slots and cause said hand grip sleeve to contract upon and engage said shaft end firmly and snugly, whereby the length of said golf club may be varied without detracting from its longitudinal, transverse, and torsional rigidity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,419,795 Yerger June 13, 1922 1,669,063 Mills May 8, 1928 2,091,794 Pester Aug. 31, 1937 2,659,087 Skeggs Nov. 17, 1953 2,832,079 Bailey Apr. 29, 1958 

